Melbourne

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Next ride

Date: Sunday 9 March 2008
Time: 4:00pm
Location: Edinburgh Gardens, Fitzroy North

Location

Gather at 4:00pm at the Fitzroy Memorial Rotunda in Edinburg Gardens, Fitzroy North (on the north side of the gardens). Ride leaves at 5:00pm.

Ride details

Go as bare as you dare!
Protest oil dependency!
Celebrate the power and individuality of our bodies!

Bring bike decorations, body (or finger) paint and your smile. Don’t worry, we’re all a bit shy when it comes to public nudity – bring your bathers if you’d like and grab a drink at the pub for a bit of Dutch courage. We’ll ride through the friendly streets of Melbourne’s inner North, putting smiles on the faces of onlookers, and challenging attitudes towards nudity, transportation and public space.

Afterward: socialising, merriment and BYO food and drinks.

Volunteers Needed

Alex, the WNBR Melbourne Organiser in 2006 and 2007 is going overseas and will not be available for the WNBR Melbourne 2008. Heidi Hill has volunteered as the organiser but still would appreciate any help you can give. Can you volunteer to help organise in 2008? The work will be shared around a team of volunteers so please do not think you will get heaps of work loaded onto you. It is easy and fun. Please join the WNBR Melbourne Yahoo! Group or the WNBR Melbourne Facebook Group and put your name forward.

Media enquiries

Contact Heidi, the WNBR Melbourne Organiser (wnbrmelbourne@yahoo.com.au).

Publicity: flyers, posters, images etc

Below is the latest version of the .JPG Poster / Flyer.

Poster / Flyer

Follow the link to the earlier versions of the Adobe Acrobat flyer and Microsoft Word flyer.

Earlier Events where WNBR Melbourne was represented

Planning Meeting Number 2

Meet and discuss planning and roles for WNBR Melbourne 2008:

• Date: Fri 8th February
• Time: 10AM
• Place: Mario's at 303 Brunswick St Fitzroy

Please let me know if plan to come, or if you'd like to come but can't make it. Heidi

Planning Meeting Number 1

Hi All,
It's time to meet and plan the 2008 ride.
Therefore I propose the following:

• Date: Tues 15 January
• Time: 7:30PM
• Place: Union Club Hotel, corner of Gore & Webb Sts, Fitzroy (a nice bike-friendly pub)

Please let me know if plan to come, or if you'd like to come but can't make it. Alex AKA bikefunnist

WNBR is a pretty easy event to pull-off; it just takes a few motivated people. You should be one of those people. It will be fun and rewarding.

peace,
-bikefunnist

Poster

Melbourne Previous Ride

Date: Saturday 10 March 2007
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Carlton Inn/University Sqr. - cnr of Pelham & Leicester Sts, Carlton For more information about the pre-ride planning, events and media see Melbourne Previous Ride page.

Media enquiries

Contact Heidi, the WNBR Melbourne Organiser (wnbrmelbourne@yahoo.com.au).

Photos

2007 photos

• Photos at WNBR Australia (official site)

2006 photos

• Photos at WNBR Australia (official site)

Videos

• World Naked Bike Ride, Melbourne, 12 March 2006: Video 1, Video 2

History

2006

Date: Sunday 12 March 2006
Time: 2pm to start body painting
Location: Smith Reserve, George Street and Alexandra Parade, Fitzroy

Ride report by G Brunya

You can also read this ride report on the Yahoo! group.

What a great day!

The weather was toasty and the overwhelming number of observers and bystanders were encouraging of the ride as it passed some of the Inner North's busiest streets.

About 15 people gathered at Smith Reserve between 2pm and 3pm and began the dressing down and body painting session. Bystanders and swimmers in the pool next to the park were bemused by the group as they began to realise what was happening. One very impressive rider was as yellow as he was the day before on the Aolian ride, but this time for a very different reason! The police drove by and spoke to one of our clothed helpers, but no instructions were given, and so the ride began.

A bicycle mounted sound system added to the party atmosphere as the riders moved south up Napier Street and the over to Smith Street. Several bystanders asked "what's it for?" to which we replied "for fun!" or "to protest the obscenity of oil dependence!"

A quick stop in a lane off Gertrude Street allowed a few members to further 'debrief' as confidence increased. We then continued on our way North down Brunswick Street. Another group of police were grappling gently with a gentleman in the Atherton Gardens Estate. They waved. Yet another police car passed us going the other way up Brunswick Street. They waved too.

After a cut west across Nicholson Street, the ride made good use of the Canning Street bicycle super highway for a short way and then it was up the short hill to Lygon Street. We regrouped as we began the Lygon stretch and moved the sound system on to "The Baby Elephant Walk". The café strip greeted us with quite a few perplexed looks and double takes as we cruised down the slope towards Queensbury Street. Yet again however, the majority of people were happy to see us. Next we rode east (in the GL; Games Lane) towards the Carlton Gardens. A few laps of the Exhibition Fountain entertained some people in the park, including a wedding party.

The final stretch took us east back along Gertrude and a second lap of Brunswick Street, where once again we were greeted by cheers, smiles and waves. Plenty of bystanders whipped out camera phones and we expect to see these pictures on this Yahoo Group soon!

A quieter pedal into the wind was taking us up past the Lord Newey Hotel, when we heard the friendly 'woop' of a police car. Pulling over, we were asked to clothe our bods as `there had been a complaint!' Hard to believe, considering that the overwhelming majority of bystanders were happy and entertained to see us – still there's always one! And it only takes one to spoil the fun.

Considering that we were nearing the end of the planned route, and since they asked nicely, we did as we were asked and the police officers thanked us and drove away with a smile and a wave. Finally refreshments were acquired at Piedemontes in North Fitzroy and we retired to a quiet spot on the banks of the Merri to discuss our victory.

Thanks to all who participated, and all who encouraged us. Special thanks to Alex and Deb for making it happen!

– G Brunya <nearherethere@yahoo.com>

Links

Website/s

• WNBR Australia (official site)

Discussion group/s

• WNBR Melbourne Yahoo! Group
• WNBR Melbourne Facebook Group

Endorsement

The following organisations support and/or endorse the WNBR in Melbourne:

• Solar West

Location information

• Wikipedia: Melbourne
• Wikipedia: Victoria (Australia)